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Title:
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Gemeentelijk energie- en klimaatbeleid in een geliberaliseerde energiemarkt
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Author(s):
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Published by:
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Publication date:
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ECN
Policy Studies
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1-5-2001
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ECN report number:
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Document type:
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ECN-C--01-035
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ECN publication
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Number of pages:
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Full text:
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25
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Download PDF
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Abstract:
Due to the ongoing process of liberalisation, Dutch municipal energypolicy is undergoing significant changes. The probable privatisation
of energy companies, the change from what used to be ?their? local energy
company to what will become ?a? energy company, results in a need for
local administrations to build up energy knowledge, end-use information
and financial resources that ?their? energy companies used to share
but, because of operating in a competitive market, are now more reluctant
to do so. On the other hand offers privatisation and the selling of
shares the possibility for some local governments to collect a significant
sum of money which can be addressed to energy policy.
This process of growing responsibility of local administrations for
their own energy policy co-incides with the structural change of the
nature of the energy supply in the Netherlands. The change towards a
more decentralised energy supply results in more energy systems (e.g.
PV and wind) coming under the influence of local regulations. Municipal
governments will have to act more like actors in a complex policy network,
playing different roles at different times in different situations,
often stimulating and regulating at the same time. The growing popularity
of platforms like energy agencies, bringing together parties like the
local government, energy companies and commercial- and housing associations
are examples hereof.
In this report, another new role for local governments resulting from
the liberalisation process is highlighted: the role energy consumer.
It is estimated that the aggregated electricity demand re-sulting from
activities under direct municipal responsibility (e.g. municipal dwellings,
traffic
lights, public lighting) amounts to a fairly large share of the market.
Due to the public interests vested in the local administrations, it
is expected that an important part of this demand is de-mand for green
electricity.
Also, local governments can use the energy markets to act as buyers
of energy. The purchased energy can then be distributed to e.g. citizens
categorised in the low-income group. It is ex-pected that in a liberalised
market energy prices will rise. In this competitive market energy companies
are probably less willing to continue their service when bills are overdue
or adapt their price when energy costs are unevenly high for certain
groups. It is in these situations that local governments, using their
new possible role as energy buyer and distributor, can make sure that
for the lower income group access to energy is guaranteed, thus adding
a new component to their social policy, reminiscent of the days before
the liberalisation process, when local governments controlled local
energy supply.
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